Cease Sabbatical.

Well, that was a lovely month off.

I'm sure you're just dying to know what we've up to right? Or, if you're my mother, I'm sure that you will continue to harass (please say in a Ms. Mathis fashion all of you Bingham Middle school alumni) me until I put up some pictures ALREADY.

So, cease sabbatical. Commence catch up.

We, okay Keeler, have been working on walking. We've got the first two steps down but that typically freaks us out a little and we then cautiously lower our cute bums to the ground.

We've been sledding in Rocky Mountain National Park. By we, I mean them. The temperature ensured that Keeler and I spent a fun-filled hour in the car pretending to drive and setting off all of the lights/flashers/radios simultaneously.

We did make an appearance for the family photo. Do you think Keeler was peeved about his "Ralphie's Brother" ensemble?

We made a forray into Utah. Let's just say things did not go as planned. But, folks, we went. We saw. We partied. We stayed up super late with the Loveridges. We came home.

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Above are all of the Anderson girls with their adorable, adorable, adorable handmade baby doll quilts from Grami Tami. Contrary to Audrie's appearance, they all LOVED them. Isabel also made doll pillows with Grami Tami. Milo got a handmade animal print book bag for his set of ALMOST ALL of the Magic Treehouse books. Aaaah bliss.

We worked on our silly faces. We also practiced closing our eyes while making these ridiculous faces.

We visited Grandma Cathryn in Utah. ALL of the Anderson cousins were together. Doesn't happen often but when it does WATCH OUT because there is mucho funno. There's also a bit of "who is the Alpha female" that goes on between the little twins and Audrie. Let's just say my money is on Liv. That girl is pretty much the boss. And I want to eat her up.

We had all of our dreams come true on Christmas morning with the arrival of a.) a talking/grunting/eating/moving Panda

and b.) a princess doll and a ballerina music box complete with tiny drawers for hiding all of your fancy jewels (that have yet to be worn?? Apparently, they are just for staring.).

We got a Snuggie. Some of us (the grownups, to be exact) are pretty sure that Lisa is right in her suspicions of the Snuggie. Snuggies are made of a very, very odd material resembling felt. But not exactly felt. But really resembling it. And probably highly flammable. Or highly NOT flammable. Also, the Snuggie spoof on YouTube is hilarious. Inappropriate (consider that your warning) but HILARIOUS.

For the record, the nongrownups (also known as the only ones who count at Christmas) think that the Snuggie is "AWESOME" and sleep in it every night.

We had Christmas Eve with the Mestas cousins. There were new jammies and books for all.

We contined to work on perfecting our "eyes closed while making ridiculous face" maneuvers. (Oh, and if you can see his shirt, you can see that we are obviously getting geared up for the Olympics too. Seriously, discovering that we now have a 24 hour a day NBC Sports channel was the highlight of our week.)

We had a little part-ay with the Pierces and the Davises. 975 Homemade gingerbread men and about 9 pounds of sprinkles later, a good time was had by all. Porter (who is 4) even made an anatomically correct gingerbread man. Highlight of the evening I'd say. Yet, his mother did not include it in her blog party summary??? ;)

We had a tree! Oh sure, it was completely boxed in by couches and baskets but it was there. Way back there. In the corner. Oh, and it was tiny. Because it was in the corner. But, I tell you what, Keeler didn't knock/pull/push/drag our tiny hidden tree down even once. :) Anyone who has had a toddler/crazy monkey at Christmas time will tell you THAT is an admirable feat.

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While that is the end of the pictures, it's not the end of the updates. Thrilled aren't you?

• Well, we've also been celebrating (albeit states away) the FINAL finalization of Jess and Aric's adoption of Camden. If you haven't read her story, you definitely should. Oh sure, I'm a sucker for adoption stories but it'll really get ya. :)
• We (Erin) have also committed to another marathon. This time in Utah and this time with Shikay....!!!! I am nervous, excited, and freaked out all at the same time. Am I really doing this again??
• We (Spencer) have been working on some new addition to the climbing wall (think lots of power tools and sawdust...I am, once again, pretending that room doesn't exist. Some would say, that room is dead to me.).
• We (Spencer) have been riding our fan bike. That is a whole post in and of itself. Think 16 Candles. Think 5 am. Think the blue flicker of the television. Think Spencer riding the bike while perched precariously on a throw pillow on the actual seat (which is apparently uncomfortable) of the fan bike. Riding for his life. Lance has nothing on this guy.
• We (all of us) survived 3 weeks out of school. THREE long weeks. With sub-freezing temps. Wowza. That's all I have to say about that.

Sabbatical Over.

TTTTTTTTTTTTT

T ONGUE

Keeler is teething and has been chewing on his own tongue to alleviate some of the discomfort!! It's made for some pretty hilarious faces.

T ree

We purchased (frozen and wrapped!) our Christmas tree. Decorated it and barricaded it in a corner. Aaaaahhh the joys of babies at Christmas! :) Keeler put the start on the tree this year (with some assistance) while the twins cheered for him.

T reats.

We got gelato with Spencer's sister, mom, and nieces over Thanksgiving weekend. It was delicious. They (the nieces) were HILARIOUS. Big fans of gelato. BIG fans.

T own.

Well, Old Town, technically. We took Spencer's family to the old historic part of Fort Collins to see the lights, eat some yummy food, and play at the cute toystore. The layers and layers of clothes and mittens and hats added to the cuteness factor.

T wins

Don't these two look like they could be twins?? They are from two different sets but, seriously, I am marveling at how much they look alike in all of these pictures! Love that Lyla and her Cindy-lou-who hair. :)

T o the mountains they went.

The Friday after Thanksgiving, Spencer and all the fam went for a hike (I was sleeping after working and a Turkey Trot the day before). Weather was beautiful and the kids all had tons of fun.

T remendous Strength

I honestly tear up at this picture. This beautiful gal is Spencer's sister Melissa. She's been through one heckuva year and never ceases to amaze us. She has defined grace and strength in the last year. Absolutely defined it. She is an incredible mother and friend. It was so, so, so great to see her and laugh with her.

T able.

The kids' table to be exact. Isn't this the definition of Thanksgiving dinner at grandma's?? So cute. So many kids. Such chaos.

T ree

This time, it's our Thankful Tree. All the cuter and more misty-eyed this year because of the little new handwriting that was on so many of the leaves. They were thankful for "seasons", "twins", "Aunty Lissa", "beds" and "strong bodies" amongst other things.

T oo cute.

I sat down to eat one day and discovered that a bird had landed in our tree. :)

National Adoption Day

The moment our family became five.

Today is National Adoption Day. This month is National Adoption Month. Would you believe that I have been trying to write this post for three weeks? Well, believe it. :) Giving words to something that has changed our lives so much and that has given us the greatest gift and love feels nearly impossible. We'll give it a whirl.

Infertility is frustrating. Infertility is isolating. Infertility feels hopeless. For so many years of our marriage, it was a part of our lives. It was the heavy weight on our shoulders. It was the inconquerable challenge that we'd been handed. No matter how much we researched, prayed, or treated, it was winning. We'd had a victory with Milo and Isabel, but it seemed like that would be our only one. The baby that we both felt so strongly was supposed to complete our family, was not going to be born from my body.

I don't know that we will ever forget the moment that we both knew and agreed that adoption was the route we were meant to take. We were facing the decision; pursue much more aggressive infertility treatment or pursue adoption. We agreed to take a few days to think on it, pray on it, and think on it some more. No talking to each other about it. Then, a few days later, we both agreed. Adoption.

And it felt good. It felt right. It felt like..."of course". It was something that I think, on some level, we both always knew we would do. We already knew the joys that adoption could bring--and the heartache. One of the women we respect and love most in this world had chosen adoption for her son. We were now about to be the family on the other side of that choice.

Mounds of paperwork. "Please map out your fire extinguishers" and "How would you rate your satisfaction with your marriage on a scale of 1-4" were just the beginning. Interviews, fingerprints, background checks, more paperwork and payments. At times, it all threatened to overshadow the end reward. A baby. Our baby. Waiting to enter our family through the most selfless decision a person or persons could make.

And, after 13 birthmoms and one very painful heartbreak, we were chosen. One year after we started the process. One year after we made the decision. A birthmom had chosen us. And a few weeks later. Keeler.

Walking through the hospital room door, was indescribable. Spencer saw Keeler for the first time and thought, "Yes. This is him. This is the baby we were meant to have.". I saw D, our birthmom, and though "Yes. This is her. This is the woman we were meant to share this with.". It's something that I don't know if I can truly explain--we just knew. The connection between us and Keeler and D was greater and deeper and more spiritual than anything we'd ever experienced or thought we would experience.

And now, today, it's as though he's always been here. It's as though we've always known D. Our finalization and sealing ceremony just put a cap on it all.

When I look at Keeler, I am overwhelmed at the joy he has brought to our family. Overwhelmed by the healing that he has made possible for us. For her. I am brought to tears to think that Isabel and Milo once were not big brother and big sister to this crazy little monkey.

D made a decision that was difficult beyond description. She made a decision that was gut-wrenching and so huge that she really wasn't sure she could do it until she did it. She continues to say that she knows she made the right decision. That, although she misses him and is so very sad at times, she feels incredible joy that he is with us. She feels that he was a gift from God--one that was meant to be raised in our family but one that was meant to help her heal and meant to bring us all together as an extended family. Our respect and love for her are so deep that they defy description. Truly.

This baby is the result of something that many think is "old-fashioned" or unrealistic in this day and age. They are so wrong. Adoptions are not just something that happens across continental lines or something that happens if a home is broken and kids are removed. Adoption is a beautiful choice that made our family complete. Adoption defines our family and adoption is a huge part of D's life and family.

Today, we will be even more reflective and grateful for what we have been given.

Want to read our original post about Keeler's placement? Go here.
Want to check our adoption website? Go here.
Want to check out other prospectice adoptive families? Go here.
Know a family who is waiting to adopt? Give 'em a link! On your blog, on Facebook...the more exposure, the better!

So much joy.

Guess Who

Can you guess?

Need a hint?

Aaahhh, I made it too easy didn't I?

Falling

We've been busy taking advantage of the fall weather...

This one has, apparently, been coaxing babysitting friends to take bizarre Sleeping Beauty/Snow White pictures of her that I will later find on my camera.
This one has been getting two new tooth. Look closely now. See 'em? That's right. They're fangs. No top middles yet. Just fangs.
This one is also crawling over everything and pulling himself up to a stand. He's C.R.A.Z.Y. and we love it.

These three had fun throwing leaves all around in our front yard.

These two went to Bartel's Farm to pick out pumpkins and gourds. Too bad that was the day of the Balloon Boy fiasco. Too bad we spent the afternoon worrying and saying little prayers for him and his family. We'll still say prayers for them. But it will be for a TOTALLY different reason.

Amazing view of the sky and clouds at the pumpkin patch.

That one (Isabel) loved getting tossed in the leaf pile by Daddy.

Those ones (there were 7 in total) had fun providing hours of leaf raking labor with the occasional toss in the leaf pile.

These two were so sad that soccer was over but so excited to get a trophy and a medal. That one on the right there said that she "didn't even know there would be a HUMAN on this trophy!". What??!!
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That one on the right also said, after the annual program put on by the Primary age children at church, "I didn't really have that much fun because I had to poop THE WHOLE ENTIRE TIME!!". Explains the weird look she had on her face the whole time. But, thanks for sharing that info right?

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The one on the left there was so, so, so sad that soccer was over. Tears people. Loves it. So cute.
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The author (Erin) has been fantasizing about vacations and reading her way through the last few years worth of Newberry Award winners. She has also been loving the menu sharing on WholePlate, missing Utah friends and fam, and agreeing to run another marathon in the spring with Shikay. ACK!

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The dad (Spencer) has been laughing hysterically at episodes of Glee (seriously, have you seen that show?!) and cursing the cold weather and precipitation. Not so much climbing for Spenc. He's also been crossing his fingers for another climbing trip to Vegas.

How I rank.

Bedtime. I&M's room. Tuck-ins.

Me: Isabel, I love you so much! You're so cute! I think you're the best little girl ever!
Isabel: I love you too Mommy. You're the best grownup EVER!!
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Me turning off light. Me almost shutting door.
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Isabel (in a funny 'I'm embarassed' high-pitched voice): Oops! Except for Jesus I mean!!
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Me closing door. Me dying laughing in hallway.
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It should be noted that my compliments to Isabel were mostly sincere but also said in a "joking/funny" way. I am not trying to inflate her head with that last compliment. I don't need a Rachel from Glee thing going on in this house. :)

Home Alone...and Family Rule #432

This is the first time that I've been home along with one baby. You know since the first two came as a package deal. (I should pause here to say that "being home" doesn't happen much lately. The NICU has been nearly exploding with babies for weeks now...)

When Keeler and I have been home alone, we've had time to...

Remember to take pictures of our favorite tree in fall before all of the leaves drop.
Pick the big kids up from school on the locomotive (also known as the bike+tag-a-long+bike trailer). No pics of that. Sorry. Trust me, it's a site to behold.

Take funny "first snow pictures" in cute fuzzy jackets.

Marvel at the amount of drool one child can produce--and enjoy just hanging out on the living room floor together.

It's been a while since we've had to institute a new family rule. Well, never fear folks....drumroll...Family Rule #432: You may not EVER put your baby brother under a laundry basket. (No matter how afraid you are that he will play with your light sabers while you are out of the room!)

Keeler was playing with the twins in their room one morning. As I walked past their room, I noticed that it was empty. Well, I thought it was. Until I saw the upside down laudry basket scootch forward a little. And then a little more. You guessed it! Keeler was underneath doing his best to crawl forward. Bless his kooky little heart, he wasn't even mad! (yet)

Me: "Um, guys, why is Keeler under a laundry basket?"

Them: SILENCE

ME: "Okay, Milo? You may not EVER put your brother under a laundry basket. That's not very kind buddy!"

Milo: "Uhhhh...umm...(here's the part where everyone thinks that he is going to say "ISSY DID IT!") I...uh....well, I didn't want him to get my light sabers and I had to go to the BATHROOM!"

Me: "Well, that's fine. You can just ask me to come and get him next them then okay?"

Milo: "Okay"

Pause.

Milo: "Well, I think he kind of liked it anyways. He's not even crying!"